Runaway, Love
I meant to put the comma in the title, by the way. Ok, this story is based off of a song I am becoming obsessed with, called Runaway Love by Ludacris. This is one of the few song written by this artist that I like. This story is only based off of one verse from this song, so it revolves mainly around one cat. I am probably confusing you right now, so just read the story and you'll understand. Oh, and it is written in third person, and I've never really written like that, so sorry if it's not any good. :D RainfireThe Scruffs' 22:12, August 18, 2010 (UTC) Prologue: A ShadowClan tom sits alone by the lake between the Clans. He has medium length brown fur and a long tail. His eyes sparkle a bright blue, like the afternoon sky. His fur ripples with the wind blowing off of the lake and he sighs. Another tom from the same Clan approaches him. He is a young tom, one that was made a Warrior only a moon ago. He has short white fur and green eyes that dance in the sunlight. "Snowreed," the brown tom greeted the white tom. Snowreed sat down next to the brown tom and looked at him. "Skywind," Snowreed greeted the brown tom. They sat in silence, watching the lake's water rise and fall in waves. The wind that blew was gentle and forgiving, yet Skywind's eyes were sad and tired. "Skywind, why are you so sad all the time? You are so quiet and tired. Your hunting skills are lacking and no one wants to go on patrol with you," Snowreed said with honesty. "Things aren't what they used to be," Skywind murmured. "What happened?" Snowreed asked, determined to get an answer. Skywind glanced at Snowreed, wondering if he should stay silent and walk away. He decides to get it off of his chest. "My sister left. This is her tale." Yeah, and it go a little somethin' like this... Chapter 1: Little Nicole is only ten years old, she's steady tryin' to figure why the world is so cold... A ten moon old she-cat apprentice cowers on the ground in fear. She has long golden brown fur and sky blue eyes. Her paws are black and she has a white tail-tip. A tom stands over her, scowling. He has short black fur and dark eyes that are almost black. His unsheathed claws are long and sharp. The she-cat wails as the tom rakes his claws down her side. "Shut up," he snaps and claws her muzzle. The she-cat covers her head and wimpers. The tom leaves, but throws a comment laced with venom over his shoulder. "You ugly unwanted she-cat. You have no right to live or be in this Clan. Why don't you just end it?" She stays silent and stays where she is. She is bruised and battered from being thrown around. She lifts her scared head, wondering how she can hide this. "Featherpaw?" a cat calls. A brown tom with medium length fur enters the area. His eyes were the same sky blue as the she-cat's. "Skypaw, over here," the she-cat, Featherpaw croaks. Skypaw bounds over to his sister and gasps. His eyes fill with pain and he nuzzles his sister sadly. He begins to clean her wounds, hatred for the black tom resurfacing in his heart. "I'm sorry, Featherpaw. If I could do something I would," Skypaw murmured, guilt stabbing him in the gut. They leave and enter ShadowClan's camp. No one notices the bleeding she-cat except for the medicine cat, Flametail. He asks no questions, asuming she had just gone through some brambles. Skypaw watches his sister sadly. His mother passes without giving her a glance. He watches the black tom that abused his sister with anger. The tom's name is Coldheart, and he is their step-father. Chapter 2: Why she's not pretty, and nobody seems to like her, alcoholic step-dad always wanna strike her... Featherpaw walks up to a group of apprentices, shrew in her jaws. She sits down next to them. The cats look at each other in disgust and walk away. Featherpaw hangs her head. She sits alone and eats her shrew quietly. Her mentor walks up. "Battle training after you eat," he says and leaves. She holds back tears. Her mentor, Runningbreeze, is just as bad as the others. Coldheart looked at her from across camp, lips curled in a snarl. Featherpaw ducks away to find Runningbreeze. Days go by, and each day Featherpaw is abused in some way or another. One day, she walks into camp and Runningbreeze starts to ask questions. "Featherpaw..." Runningbreeze begins. Featherpaw looks up at her mentor. She has a small scar above her eye and some areas of her fur have discoloration. "What's going on?" Runningbreeze asks. Featherpaw closes her eyes and breathes deeply. *Flashback* There is a storm, and lightning strikes. Featherpaw cries out as Coldheart grasps her scruff and throws her into a tree. She falls on a rock, and blood streams from a cut above her eye. Coldheart's yowls are incoherent. He kicks rocks at her, and a big one hits her side. She curls up into a ball and waits for Coldheart to leave. Chapter 3 Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises, teachers ask questions, she's makin up excuses... "Nothing, Runningbreeze," Featherpaw lies. Runningbreeze looks his apprentice over. "How did you get those scars? And that bruise?" he asks. "I tripped and fell down a ravine. It's nothing," she answers. Runningbreeze eyes her, unconvinced. He shakes his head and walks away, leaving Featherpaw alone. She lays her head on her paws and sighs. An apprentice walks up to her. It is a gray she-cat with pale amber eyes. She lays down next to Featherpaw. "Hi! I'm Owlpaw," she introduces. Featherpaw looks up. "I'm Featherpaw," Featherpaw introduces herself. Skypaw watches from across camp, hope filling his heart. The two she-cats begin talking and find they have much in common. Owlpaw asks no questions about Featherpaw's scars. Coldheart staggers across camp, his head fuzzy and unclear. He is addicted to a two-leg liquid, and often went to their dens to find some. "Featherpaw," he slurs. Featherpaw looks up at him in fear. Owlpaw narrows her eyes. "Come on Featherpaw. Let's go hunt with our mentors," Owlpaw says. Featherpaw looks at her, gratefull. They bound away from the drunken tom. Skypaw smirks in Coldheart's direction. Chapter 4 Bleedin on the inside, cryin' on the out, there's only one girl really knows what she's about... Featherpaw sits far away from camp, tears streaming down her cheeks. She doesn't sob, just lets the tears run. "Featherpaw..." Owlpaw says. She walks out from behind a tree and sits down next to the broken apprentice. Featherpaw's scars are fading, but it won't be long before Coldheart comes back. "I'm sorry about all of this," says Owlpaw. Featherpaw looks at her, wide-eyed. "You know?" Featherpaw wimpers. "I'm not oblivious like the others," Owlpaw says softly. Featherpaw looks at her paws. "Would you like to come hunting with me?" Owlpaw asks. Featherpaw brightens. "Ok." Chapter 5 Her name is little Stacy and they become friends, promise that they'll always be tight 'till the end... "Good catch!" Runningbreeze calls out to Featherpaw. Featherpaw basks in the praise. She never let her hunting slack, despite the issues. Owlpaw trots up with a toad in her jaws. She sets it down. "A rabbit? In ShadowClan territory? No way!" Owlpaw gasps. "Yes way!" Featherpaw assures her. Featherpaw and Owlpaw bound deeper into the forest. Owlpaw stops and looks to Featherpaw. "Featherpaw, I want you to know that I'm here for you. I know you don't have many friends, but you can consider me one," Owlpaw says. Featherpaw gazes at her new found friend. "Really?" Featherpaw asks. Owlpaw nods. "Until the end," Owlpaw confirms. The two cats go off in search of prey, pelts brushing, knowing there friendship will last forever. Chapter 6 Until one day lil' Stacy gets shot, a drive-by bullet went stray up on her block... The two apprentices crouch by a clearing. Two-legs wander about. Big greenish things are set up. Two-legs enter and exit them like dens. "What are they doing?" Featherpaw whispers. "I have no idea," Owlpaw murmurs. They stand, tense, when a twoleg brings out something long and heavy. It looks like some kind of stick. They point it at something in the clearing, and the cats cover their ears when a blast erupts from the object. Something in front of the two-leg whips around, a hole now through it. The two-legs hoot and holler. "Let's get out of here," Featherpaw hisses. "Wait... I want to see what they're doing..." Owlpaw whispers. Featherpaw stays by her friend. The two-leg fiddles with the object, and points at something shiney. There was another blast, and something riccochets off of the shiney thing. Everything for Featherpaw becomes slow-motion when she hears a gasp from Owlpaw. Featherpaw looks over. Owlpaw looks Featherpaw straight in the eye. There is a look of surprise and disbelief on Owlpaw's face. She makes a choking noise, mouth hanging open in shock, and falls to the ground, eyes glazed over. Blood flows from a small hole in Owlpaw's chest. Featherpaw stands, quiet. Nothing is registering in her mind. Then, there is disbelief, shock, pain, anguish. She stifles a wail and drags her friend back to camp, suddently feeling more alone than ever. Chapter 7 Now Nicole's stuck up in a world on her own, forced to think that h*ll is a place called home... Featherpaw sits in the Gathering clearing. Skypaw is with a group of apprentices, chatting and exchanging stories and gossip. Featherpaw is surrounded by Clan cats, but feels comepletely and utterly alone. It has been a moon since Owlpaw's tragic death, but she still feels the pain fresh in her heart. She looks up. A short-haired black she-cat also sits alone, a few tail-lengths away. The she-cat is very thin, and very tired looking. The she-cat looks around, as if she can tell someone is looking at her. Featherpaw's and the she-cat's eyes meet, and there is an instant connection. The black she-cat has blazing amber eyes. Featherpaw gets up and walks over. "Hello. I'm Featherpaw," Featherpaw introduces herself. The black she-cat smells of WindClan. "I'm Shadepaw," the black she-cat says. Shadepaw is one moon younger than Featherpaw. The connection seems to finnaly click between the two she-cats. They say nothing, just recognize the feelings of abuse and hurt in each others' eyes. They look around, wondering if any other cat is feeling the same, and they see something that shakes them. "Great StarClan..." A RiverClan she-cat apprentice sits hunched over on the other side of the clearing. Only Shadepaw and Featherpaw seem to notice something about this she-cat. The she-cat is a brown tabby with pale green eyes. Shadepaw and Featherpaw walk over to her. Skypaw watches from afar. "Hello," Featherpaw greets the RiverClan she-cat. The she-cat looks up in fear. Her fur is thick and lush, but it barely masks the fact that- "Great StarClan, you're expecting," Shadepaw murmurs. The she-cat looks away, shamed. Shadepaw and Featherpw sit down. "We don't judge. I'm Featherpaw, and this is Shadepaw," Featherpaw introduces. "I'm Heatherpaw," the brown she-cat whispers. Heatherpaw has an extremely tired and lonely look on her face. All three she-cats share one connection that can never be broken: one of pain. "The father..." "A ThunderClan tom. He left me whenever he found out," Heatherpaw hissed. A WindClan Warrior walks past them. It is a stone gray she-cat with blue eyes. She has a very long, flowing tail with little white hairs at the end. "That's my mother," Shadepaw growls. Featherpaw notices that Shadepaw also has a long, flowing tail with little white hairs at the end, but that is the only resemblance between the two she-cats. An idea emerges in Featherpaw's mind. "We have to leave." Chapter 8 Nothin' else to do but get her clothes and pack, she says she's 'bout to runaway and never come back... The three she-cats look at each other. Heatherpaw and Shadepaw nod. "Good. When everyone leaves the Gathering, we stay behind," Featherpaw plans. Shadepaw and Heatherpaw nod stifly. "Let's do this..." Snowreed listens to the story with interest. Skywind stops and looks to the sky. It is dark and starry. "I'm going to go. Thank you for sharing," Snowreed says softly. Skywind watches the young tom go. Snowreed stops and looks at Skywind. "I'm glad Coldheart is dead," Snowreed says and continued walking. Skywind stares at the lake, which is now calm with the lack of wind. An image forms. The image is behind three she-cats. They are young, yet mature and beautiful. Three kits of five moons romp around infront of the she-cats as they walk. One she-cat is pure black with a long, flowing tail. One is a golden she-cat with black paws and a white tail-tip, and the other is a brown tabby she-cat. The image changes. The same she-cats are staring across a lake, the kits sitting at their paws. The gold she-cat walks forward and looks at the water. She has sky blue eyes that are slightly silver in the moonlight. She purrs softly and dipps her paw in the lake, disturbing her image and the one Skywind is watching. Skywind looks up and gasps. Chapter 9 Yeah, I can only imagine what you're goin through ladies. Sometimes I feel like runnin' away myself. Now do me a favor right now and close your eyes. And picture us runnin' away together. And when we come back everything is gonna be ok. Open your eyes... The three she-cats are across the lake, watching him. It is Shadepaw, Heatherpaw, and Featherpaw. The three kits also watch him. One is a small gray tom with green eyes. One is a dark ginger she-kit with sky blue eyes, and the other is a brown tabby tom with amber eyes. "Featherpaw..." Skywind chokes out. He begins to walk toward them, but they shake their heads. "But..." Featherpaw gazes at her brother. Her eyes send hima message: she's okay. He sits down and watches as they each pick up a kit and walk back into the forest. Skywind looks back at the lake and sighs with happiness. His sister is ok, and that is all he could ever ask for... A/N: So. How was it? I felt like I didn't do justice to the song, but whatever. I hope you liked it. So, thanks for reading! RainfireThe Scruffs' 01:19, August 29, 2010 (UTC) Category:Songfic